North of Boston and Salem are filled with wonderful things to do and see

The very cool things to do at the Stone Zoo start, of course, with the animal exhibits, from flamingos and alligators in the Caribbean Coast to spider monkeys and sloths in the Windows to the Wild. (And don’t forget snow leopards, otters, monkeys, yaks, gila monsters ...) At the Animal Discovery Center, kids can marvel at a honeybee hive or feel a lizard’s skin; in the Yukon Creek, they can follow animal tracks (including those of black bear brothers Smoky and Bubba) to an abandoned logger’s cabin. There’s a great playground, a children’s train, Jungle Fun Ride, Turbo Tubs and, in a nature play area, young visitors can climb into an oversized bird’s nest. Group behind-the-scenes tours and rental strollers are available.

Make a splash with the family at the largest indoor water park in Massachusetts. A tropical indoor paradise where it’s always 84 degrees and open every day for every kid of every age. There are water slides, a lazy river, a splash pad and dip-in-the- theater arcade, private, cozy cabanas and lots more where they came from. Hold one of a kind birthday parties, group swims, or even buy out the whole park for a day. Then enjoy a night at the Doubletree Hotel Boston North Shore adjacent to the Park with luxurious bedding and jumbo pillows, flat screen television, on-demand movies and premium cable channels. Look for Coco Key Discounts and packages that include overnight accommodations, water resort access, and breakfast in the family-friendly TradeWinds Restaurant.

Jordan’s BeanStalk™ Adventure Ropes Course in Reading Massachusetts, gets you moving from one activity to the next to test your agility and balance. Make your way across this one-of-a-kind sky ropes course and head up 12 or 24 feet onto zig zag beams, crisscross angled rope ladders, and spaghetti hand lines. Walk the plank at 24 feet then travel out on a 6 inch standalone beam, pivot and return. Enjoy two levels of challenging ropes course, 30 exciting activities and for young adventurers, there’s BeanSprout™, a specially designed course for children 2-7. Adventurers must be at least 48" tall or 42" if accompanied by a chaperone. Groups of 10 or more paying on the same transaction receive a 10% discount.

In addition to the extraordinary collection of military vehicles, tanks, aircraft, vintage race cars and automobiles, the American Heritage Museum hosts an exciting array of living history events, from tank demonstration days to World War II re-enactments. New to the museum is a video exhibit on 9/11, featuring the recollections of two F-16 pilots who tried to intercept hijacked Flight 93. The museum’s chronological exhibits on America’s fight to preserve freedom go from the Revolution to the current War on Terror, with detailed dioramas on the campaigns of World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf War. Interspersed throughout are the vehicles so crucial to those campaigns. The museum also runs tank-driving programs at a separate training ground.

A visit to the Essex Shipbuilding Museum in Essex is a wonderful way to be immersed in the shipbuilding culture of Massachusetts. The museum tells the story of a New England village that built more two-masted wooden fishing schooners than any other place in the world. Exhibits are housed in the old Essex Central School House, built in 1835. Features include antique tools, photographs, documents, and exhibits. Tours include video presentations and hands-on activities. A gift shop offers ship plans, maritime gifts. Hours: June-October, Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; at other months, weekends, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 978-768-7541

Plum Island is an 11-mile long barrier Island off the shore ofNewburyport, with miles of public beaches and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, home to over 800 species of birds, plants and animals. Sandy Point State Reservation on the southern tip of Plum Island is a wonderful place to swim or explore the life of the tide pools (kids love this!). the Audubon Society's Joppa Flats Education Center is located on Plum Island Turnpike on your way to the island. Find chances to join bird watching tours and other educational programs for adults or the whole family. Join a kayaking excursion with Plum Island Kayak – entrancing!

Rocky Neck Art Colony in Gloucester is the oldest working art colony in the country, and has been luring artists to its picturesque shores for more than 150 years. Today the area is still home to many working artists and to galleries showing paintings in all media, as well as batik, photography, jewelry, prints, sculpture, ceramics, and fine gifts. A convenient walking tour of Rocky Neck, along East Main Street, includes information about three dozen galleries and studios on the Neck. A new book about the artists and history of the region, titled Rocky Neck Art Colony 1850-1950, by Judith Curtis, is available. 978-515-7004.

The Minuteman Bikeway, also called America's Revolutionary Rail-Trail, passes through the historic area where the American Revolution began in April 1775. Built on an inactive railroad, the Bikeway has become a treasured resource, used by residents and visitors from near and far. Connecting to the Alewife “T” Station in Cambridge, the bikeway provides an easy way for bicyclists and pedestrians -- and, in the winter, skiiers -- to travel. The bikeway passes through Bedford, Lexington, Arlington, and Cambridge. Bikeway map.

deCordova Sculpture Park & Museum at 51 Sandy Pond Road in Lincoln is a significant premier destination for contemporary art and sculpture, a mere 20 miles west of Boston. The vast grounds, covered with lawns and copses of woodlands, are the backdrop to a constantly changing landscape of large-scale, outdoor, modern and contemporary sculpture. Indoor space in the museum building also has exhibit space. The park and museum offer year-round activities, like snowshoe tours, yoga outdoors, nature tours, artist conversations, and screenings. Enjoy revolutionary artistic visions and stretch your muscles outdoors. Phone: 781-259-8355